What People Are *Actually* Saying About Transgender Athletes’ Right To Participate In Sports
WASHINGTON – Last month, House Republican lawmakers introduced legislation that needlessly scapegoats some of our most vulnerable students as the cause of inequity in athletics. Athletes, advocates, and experts agree that the inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s sports is not a threat to survivial or success of women’s sports. Here is what they say about including transgender youth in women’s sports:
Billie Jean King (Tennis champion, Womens Sports Foundation Founder): “There is no place in any sport for discrimination of any kind. I’m proud to support all transgender athletes who simply want the access and opportunity to compete in the sport they love. The global athletic community grows stronger when we welcome and champion all athletes – including LGBTQI+ athletes.”
Megan Rapinoe (Professional Soccer Player): “These bills are attempting to solve a problem that doesn’t exist. Transgender kids want the opportunity to play sports for the same reasons other kids do: to be a part of a team where they feel like they belong.
“Transgender kids deserve the same chances to enjoy sports; to gain confidence, self-respect and leadership skills; and to learn what it means to be part of a team. When we tell transgender girls that they can’t play girls’ sports — or transgender boys that they can’t play boys’ sports — they miss out on these important experiences and opportunities. And we lose the right to say we care about children. I want every transgender kid out there to know that they can live their dreams and be true to who they are. For them to realize those dreams, they need to be allowed to play.”
Coalition of 23 Women’s Rights and Gender Justice Organizations: “As experts in sex discrimination, we know firsthand that equal opportunities for transgender people are not the problem, they are part of the solution. We will continue to spend our energy combating the actual problems: stereotypes about women and girls’ interest and ability to compete, lack of equal resources for girls’ sports, pay inequality and other types of discrimination against women coaches and professional women athletes, and sexual harassment that pushes women and girls out of sports. We will only accomplish these goals by treating all people, including transgender people, with fairness and respect. That means celebrating all athletes, including transgender athletes—not shaming them and casting them out."
Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA): “Politically charged policies and laws aimed at harming trans youth and their families are abhorrent. Banning trans kids from sports ostracizes them from a fundamental part of growing up and lifeline to feel welcome and a part of their community.”
Athlete Ally: “Transgender athletes are not and have never been a threat to women’s sport.
“We urge a deeper commitment to the values that are foundational to a fair and just society, including respect across difference, inclusion, and equity, for all athletes. The movement demanding legal rights, equal opportunities, and full dignity for transgender people must be pursued within sport, not carved out from it.
“As scholars, athletes, and advocates, we have an opportunity to be leaders, modeling the welcoming of trans people for other areas of society where acceptance is lacking. The future of women’s sports includes transgender women and girls.”
United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee Athletes’ Advisory Council: “Everyone should have equal access to and opportunity in sport. The AAC opposes any attempt to marginalize, limit or deny human rights and is on the side of inclusion of all participants in youth sports. Banning transgender and nonbinary kids from sports ostracizes them from a fundamental part of growing up and all the benefits sports provide to youth.”
National Women’s Law Center (NWLC): “If lawmakers actually want to help achieve gender equity in sports, then they must let transgender and intersex athletes play. Banning transgender and intersex athletes from competing only perpetuates inequity and sex-based discrimination in violation of Title IX by targeting transgender and intersex students, who already face horrific amounts of hatred, violence, and discrimination simply for being who they are.”
National Coalition for Women & Girls in Education (NCWGE): “NCWGE supports the right of transgender and nonbinary students to learn in a safe, nondiscriminatory environment; to use names, pronouns, and identification documents consistent with their gender identity; to have full and equal access to sex-separated activities and facilities consistent with their gender identity, including athletics teams, bathrooms, and locker rooms; and to have their privacy protected in all education records, in accordance with Title IX, the reasoning in the Supreme Court’s Bostock decision, and President Biden’s January 20, 2021 executive order.”
Erica Sullivan (Professional Swimmer): “Should the transgender community be included and treated equally in all areas of life, including sports? Yes. Transgender athletes should not be denied equal rights when compared to cisgender athletes.
“As a woman in sports, I can tell you that I know what the real threats to women's sports are: sexual abuse and harassment, unequal pay and resources and a lack of women in leadership. Transgender girls and women are nowhere on this list. Women's sports are stronger when all women—including trans women—are protected from discrimination, and free to be their true selves.”
Naima Reddick (Professional Rugby Player): “Trans women simply aren't taking over rugby, and they have no inherent advantage. Zero trans women to date have competed in the Olympics. They aren't taking over sport, period.
“I want all athletes -- including trans women -- to be accepted and not have theirexistence questioned. If you want to play and put the work in, then I want you to be here.”
Meghan Duggan (Professional Hockey Player): “I have always wanted to change the world through sports. Playing hockey empowered me and gave me an amazing platform to advocate for the issues that matter the most to me, especially gender equality and LGBTQ+ inclusion… Trans athletes deserve those same rights and equal opportunities in sports. I now mentor young athletes, inspiring them to find their voices through hockey. Every child, regardless of gender identity, should have the chance to access the lifelong skills that sports teach like confidence, perseverance and leadership.”
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